I read with interest the article on robots zapping germs in hospitals. This technology is still evolving and is not the answer to removing all germs within a hospital room. The robot cannot clean every surface in the room without being moved repeatedly in the room, taking time away from moving a patient from the emergency room to a clean room.

The best method of removing germs is to clean all surfaces with a hospital-approved disinfectant such as quaternary ammonia and using friction to clean the hospital surfaces. Quaternary ammonia will kill most surface germs except for C. difficile, which has to be killed using bleach.

Dr. Debesh Das’ statement that the robot does its job without rolling its eyes or being cranky is disrespectful to all of the great health care housekeepers who do their job everyday with pride, ensuring that the environment is clean and ready for the next patient.

Robots help in the process of room disinfection, but will never replace the human element in room disinfection.

Good piece by reporter Nick Green on the state hearing into the explosion at the ExxonMobil refinery in Torrance.

Cheers to committee chairman Sen. Ben Hueso and his committee staff who did a good job in swiftly conducting a local hearing, giving residents an opportunity — albeit short — to offer their views.

South Bay Sen. Ben Allen is right, there are more questions to be asked.

Torrance Mayor Pat Furey is also correct for pointing to the ongoing need to get more information to residents.

It’s no surprise that a freshman senator and freshman congressman — each skilled at political theater — would use this incident to puff up their feathers. One sent a letter, another told witnesses that something must be done, and walked out of a hearing early. Makes headlines; Doesn’t get much done.

In our imperfect, industrialized world, things blow up. It’s time to put aside theatrics and come up with changes that everyone can agree on.

— Bill Orton, Long Beach

Who is acting in

America’s best interest?

I’m having a hard time understanding the hoopla around Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The relationship between the United States and Israel goes beyond any relationship between our chief executives for strategic, political and historical reasons.

What should be of concern is the fact that the speaker of the House — the third person in line for presidency of the United States — is attempting to thwart the foreign policy of the president vis-à-vis the country; that a key Republican calls the president of the United States a socialist and un-American, and no major Republican, including a presidential want-to-be and House Speaker John Boehner, repudiated the statement.

And last, that the speaker along with a Tea Party House member, on national TV, justify a potential shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security using language that paralleled or mimicked language used over 150 years ago by supporters of state secession which lead to the Civil War.